Tag: weightloss snacking mistake

Your certain weightloss plan may vary based upon environment, location, genetics, the top quality of the food you’re purchasing, the quantity where you’re consuming that food, as well as so a lot more. For a lot of people trying to lose weight, counting is comforting. Numbers define guidelines, goals, and success; there are many ways to measure the weight-loss potential of food: points, calories, grams, serving sizes. In fact, evaluating your food strictly by numbers rather than by its nutritional and metabolic merits is not only ineffective, but it may actually lead to weight gain.

Snacking is totally something that can help you with weight loss but the little mistakes could be getting in the way of your goals. If you have a history of disordered eating, you may want to talk to your doctor before switching up any of your eating habits, even if it’s just the way you snack.

Most common sneaky mistakes to be on the lookout for:

Turning a snack into a legitimate meal.

If you space your meals and snacks correctly (you should be eating every couple of hours), you shouldn’t need a huge snack. The purpose of snacking is to carry you through your next meal, not to replace it. To keep a snack from creeping into meal territory, it should be between 150 to 200 calories. Bonus points if it has a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to keep you full and satisfied until your next meal.

Your pre- or postworkout snack is too big.

Most dietitians recommend eating something in the 100- to 250-calorie range, especially for lower intensity workouts, but, again, this will vary depending on your level of hunger. These snacks will give you the energy you need to make it through your workout, and the nutrients you need to fully recover afterward. You just want to be careful that you’re not making them too big. Just eat what feels right to your body.

Consuming low-fat or “light” items.

They sound ideal, but those keywords are giveaways that the food is likely loaded with sugar and added sodium to compensate for flavor loss, says Zeitlin.

You’re eating too much of something because it’s “healthy.”

“Too much of any food is a bad thing, even if it’s healthy, ” Lindsey Pine, M.S., R.D., owner of Tasty Balance Nutrition, tells SELF. Foods like nuts, jerky, seeds, cheese, and dried fruit are all considered healthy snacks, but if you eat too many of them, the calories, sodium, and sugars are going to stack up just as they would with an unhealthy snack. If you find yourself consistently overdoing those healthier snacks, you may want to reconsider how you put your food together.

Letting boredom or other emotions convince you you’re hungry.

“Some people get it into their minds that they need to have a snack at a particular time because that’s part of a good diet plan, ” Pine says, “but if you’re not hungry, don’t force a snack down.” Some people snack out of habit rather than hunger. Of course, you may actually be hungry. In that case, don’t feel like you can’t eat after dinner—it’s a myth that it’ll instantly make you gain weight. But don’t sit in front of the TV and mindlessly dive into whatever you’re having. Portion out what you want to eat so it’s snack-sized, then put the rest away. Here are some great snacks registered dietitians like to eat before bed.